Kpakpando Akaeze, a 15 year-old high school
student from Lagos, Nigeria. You may have heard of
her when news spread around the world about a
group of girls from Nigeria who designed a urine
powered generator. Kpakpando’s hobbies include
traveling and conducting experiments. In January
2015, she was selected to speak about education and
innovation at the World Economic Forum in Davos,
where she told world leaders that they need to step
up their game when it comes to investment in
education. He was asked a few questions and this is
how he replied:

1. You and your friends made global headlines
recently with your work on the using waste to create
energy. What are some of the most important things
you learnt during that process?

We learnt that nothing is ever a waste so we must not
just look at it at the face value. Hence, waste should
not just be disposed of – especially the waste that is
non-biodegradable. It can be used alternatively to do
different things; for example, from our findings, we
discovered that banana peels have the ability to
absorb heavy metals found in waste oil. Our team
spirit was really built up, and we learnt to trust one
another’s abilities. We also learnt that success can
never be achieved at once, we learnt to identify
success in the midst of failure as we failed repeatedly
in our experiment but we never gave up.

2. Why do you believe that education is so important?

Education is important especially for children
because it opens them to new ideas on how to make
the world a better place both economically and
developmentally. It lays the foundation for
refinement of creative thinking and abilities. It
empowers human beings, especially the women,
preventing them from being relegated.

3. What are some of the education challenges facing
children in Nigeria?

The value attached to education is not as important
as it should be, especially for the female child in the
northern part of the country. Some people still
believe that investment in a girl’s education is
wasteful as they will eventually end up in the kitchen.
Violence and terrorism are also challenges facing
children in Nigeria especially in the northern part of
the country. When there is fear among the children,
their minds are not entirely opened to learning. And
the teachers, some stop coming to school to teach
the children because of the fear of losing their lives.
Boko Haram is against Western education and they
had been involved in the killing of many – especially
students, children and mothers – and kidnapping and
destruction of schools and government property. The
kidnapping of over 200 Chibok girls is still fresh on
our minds. It is nearly a year now and the girls are
yet to be found.

4. We’ve heard you say before that if girls are given
the opportunity to study science they will realize how
good they are at it. Why do you think that all around
the world we still have a situation where fewer girls
than boys pursue maths, science or engineering
related fields? How do we change that?

Most men in the world today especially in the
developing economies believe women are the weaker
vessels so it is preferable for them to study what they
perceived as less demanding courses and careers
like fashion and music, and to leave core science
subjects and careers like medical sciences and
engineering to men, who they believe have more
guts.
It has taken few bold women to take on those
subjects and compete with men…but those women
didn’t just do that without education. Many schools
are encouraging girls to actively compete with the
boys! My school, Doregos Private Academy, has
really believed in the potential of the girls, and we are
given the same rights and privileges as the boys. If
every girl child is given a good education, they can
level up with men and even be better. Behind every
great man is a greater woman, so who says we are
the weaker vessels?
5. What do world leaders – in government and
business – need to do to make quality education a
reality for all children?
Free and compulsory education must be provided for
all children. Every child has a dream and ambition, all
they need is moral and financial support. More
should be made available in country budgets for
education. If world leaders can provide that, then the
whole world will be moving to a greater level of
development….It is time we make sure that we leave
a positive mark on every child; that they will
remember for the rest of time. The future doesn’t
begin tomorrow, it starts now.


Source


www.lailasblog.com/2015/02/meet-15-year-old-world-science-champion.html?m=1

Watch one of the boys video here




http://global-4-lvs-odra.opera-mini.net/hn15-10-06/114607/0/1/245&url=rtsp://r3---sn-5hn7su7k.c.youtube.com/CkULENy73wIaPAmomA1dD78XmxMYESARFEgGUgZ2aWRlb3NyIQG2od7TP1oGUQR3NBDnWQN7DvPB7EI6RNWvHdRsUJxg5gw=/0/0/0/video.3gp

.

Good

PROUD OF U GIRL! GOOD THINGS STILL COME OUT FROM NIGERIA

.

Cool

I dub tire for FTP... Abi FTC ... This land is for sale ...

Leaders of tomorrow pray so that our grandpas don't steal your future

As far as Nigeria is concerned,nobody is willing to invest in her or her project... Even the government officials would be busy stealing public funds.

My advice for the young lady is to quit what she is doing experimentally and go learn some other hand work,that would put food on her table peacefully....There are cabals in the electricity field that has invested billions of dollars & willing to stop her discovery at all cost.

Is she the one on red head tie?

okay

hazyfm1:
PROUD OF U SON! GOOD THINGS STILL COME OUT FROM NIGERIA

She is a girl. Try and read

VIPERVENOM:
.

chinchong:
.

This una space Booking una take am to the next level

hazyfm1:
PROUD OF U SON! GOOD THINGS STILL COME OUT FROM NIGERIA

Um its a GIRL

Please nobody should shout change here ooo, it seems our president doesnt seems to understand what that means,
The first one he changed petrol price from N97 to N87 , still you guys were still shouting change, he changed election date, the annoying one is he almost ruined my cousins life, ehn he changed his wedding date from Feb 14 to March March 28 , now the new election date is March 28, now the guy wants to change it again, please till the wedding is done, i dont wanna hear change, before the guy change his mind ooo. abeg

Yoruba trained girl

waoh

Nice....Nigeria get gurus...

plainmirror:
Kk

k for kolomental

K for Kolomenal

K*k = K*2

Well done girl

I'm proud of you young lad
You will be useful for this nation and the world at large.
Boko Haram I hope you learn from this great lad. Better to save than destroy.
Boko harams and their sponsor will not know peace in Jesus name.

LajaLaba:
Yoruba trained boy

Nigeria point if correction...

wait am confused is it a boy or girl the op is talking about

So nice. They had to work on generator project cos we gat no light here

Good kid
where are boko idiots

One thing I know with certainty

This country is filled with amazing people!

Giant of Africa would rise again! Stay tuned.

adrainuche:


Nigeria point if correction...

U dey mind me

good way to go boy.....how I wish our leaders recognize the importance of science in the growth and development of a nation but this is a country where vanity rejoice over substance.















vote for me come 2031 and you will see original transformation

wiringdpt:
Well done boy

That's a girl ooo

Nigerians will also be known for good, ride on the sky is ur limit

That is awesome.

who says we dont produce extraordinary individuals....
IGBO KWENU!!!!!